You & I
by Melissa Moore
Summary: Complete! Hiromi is frustrated that Beyblade receives more attention from the object of her affections than she does. What can she do? Takao&Hiromi.
1. Unappreciated

**A/N: **This is a shorter three-part fic. It has been edited and parts re-written, and is posted for archival purposes. If you are confused, please visit my profile.

**You & I  
Part One: Unappreciated  
****By Melissa Moore**

I suppose it had always been one of his passions, ever since he had been old enough to play. But then again, Beyblade was a craze that was sweeping the entire world. So Takao would have been crazy not to jump on the bandwagon. He had told me once on the one and only day he had stayed after class to help me clean, "Beyblade is my first love. Friendship is my second."

To which I had replied, "Am I a friend?"

He had smiled at me and laughed, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Sure, Hiromi-chan."

I had always been ready to support any of his endeavors, but it was after my 14th birthday that I started to get tired of the whole Beyblade scene, but of course, I had never told _him_ that. I was his friend, and I had to be ready to support him no matter what. But I could only hold up the charade for so long.

It had always been the only thing on his mind, but after those accursed feelings had somehow wiggled their way into my heart, I found myself often wondering if I could ever be worthy of his sole attention. But as days, weeks, months passed, I found it was foolish to think so.

And all the blushing and stuttering denials when someone accused us of liking each other seemed only one-sided. He was always too busy thinking of new strategies and ways to defeat his next opponent. I suppose I should have been admiring his dedication and passion for the sport. But... inwardly, with each casual conversation and nonchalant brush of our shoulders, I found I was inwardly seething.

He treated me as one of the _guys_! I guess I should have been grateful that he at least treated me with _that_ much respect, and not with meaningless chatter and insincere smiles he directed toward his fans.

Whenever he smiled at me, I could tell he was being sincere just by the look in his eyes, and I could tell I was being affected by the sharp tingling in the pit of my stomach.

I was grateful to him. He was my first real friend. He had helped my demeanor calm and had helped me to not be so uptight. His motto in life had inadvertently rubbed off on me.

"Everything will be all right in the end. Relax."

He was the first person who had smiled at me without sarcasm or hatred. And I fell in love. I'm not quite sure when I did, but it happened... and when I realized it, I took it hard. I admired him. His tenacity, endurance, kindness, loyalty, and even his outstanding tendency to be incredulously stubborn.

I love him.

I, Tachibana Hiromi, love Kinomiya Takao.

But there was only so much of his childish ignorance I could take.

I felt...

... unappreciated.


	2. Separating

**A/N: **Part two.

**You & I  
Part Two: Separating  
****By Melissa Moore**

She had left me a note. When I woke one morning, I found it discreetly taped to the side of my mailbox. It had my name on it, drawn in a small feminine scrawl, and, of course, I never got any mail besides from the BBA, so I hurried to open it.

However, when I began reading it, I found myself beginning to wish that I hadn't opened it at all.

_Takao-kun,_

_I regret to inform you that I will no longer be able to stay here in Japan. I apologize for not being able to come tell you face-to-face, but my family and I have been extremely busy packing. _

_We are moving to America. The chances that I will see you again are slim to none. Perhaps it is better that way. After all, you never cared much for me. It was always about those spinning tops. Perhaps Dragoon will be a better friend to you than I was. _

_But then again, I wasn't really a friend, was I? I was a cheerleader._

_Like I said, perhaps it is better this way. My father's job promotion came at the most opportune time. Why would I want to leave, you ask?_

_Because I love you._

_I know that that sounds foolish. If you were to love someone, you would want to stay by their side as long as you could. But that isn't the case in my situation. You see, in loving you, I was willing to support the entire Beyblade scene, and in loving you, I was willing to wait._

_But not anymore._

_As the weeks and months passed, I realized that you would never grow up. You would never listen to your heart. So I decided that one of us had to face reality. It's just sad that you couldn't join me._

_Goodbye,  
Tachibana Hiromi_

After reading her letter, I had run to the phone, calling up every current and former team member of the Bladebreakers. They came over to my house, and I had asked them what to do.

This was Hiromi we were talking about. Surely she wouldn't do something as irrational as move to America. But later, when I went to her house, I found a sign out front and everything was gone. I felt myself crumble inside.

But _why_?

Why did I care if she left? As I walked back home, feeling helpless, I told myself desperately that I cared because she was a friend. A really good friend.

A friend that was always there for me, at every battle, cheering me on with that bright, lopsided smile. Every match I won, she'd be there, celebrating and toasting along with the rest of the team, laughing that heart-stopping laugh.

As I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, I thought about her; simply about her. Her smile, her laugh, her smell, her hair... everything about her that was once there... something I had taken for granted and now... it was gone. Hell, after reading that letter, all I _could_ do was think about her.

I rummaged through my dresser drawer, looking desperately for the picture from last year's championship. As I pulled it out from behind a book, I smiled when I caught a glimpse of her smiling as Max pulled her into the wild party.

I remembered vaguely what she looked like that day. She had put her hair into barrettes for once, had worn a very pretty skirt and a tank top. She had looked very cute, and I remember not being able to summon up the courage to tell her.

Once again, I had taken her for granted.

Setting the picture aside, I crawled back to my bed, picked up the letter, and scanned over it again. It was a strange sensation. When I read that letter, I felt a tingling in the pit of my stomach and a stabbing pain in my heart.

I sighed, depressed, and glanced at the picture on the ground, running a finger over her figure under the smooth glass. Then it dawned on me. I was...

_Dear God, I am... I really am..._

"Grandpa!" I yelled, scrambling up from my position on the floor. "We need to go somewhere... now!"


	3. Help Me

**A/N: **Part three.

**You & I  
Part Three: Help Me  
****By Melissa Moore**

Hiromi sighed and ran a hand through her chestnut hair, glancing despairingly at all the boxes that still had yet to be unpacked. _This sucks_, she thought, seriously contemplating on whether or not to chuck it all out the window. Even if she hadn't wanted to leave Japan, she would have _had_ to. Her father had sprung the news on her family suddenly, and at the time of the announcement, Hiromi had been ecstatic.

After all, she had an easy way to escape from Takao.

But during the flight, she had cried herself to sleep. The realization that she would never see Takao, Max, Kai, Rei, and Kenny hurt her. But it was her decision. She had _wanted_ to go. That's why she hadn't protested. But now... she was regretting it.

Hiromi walked over to the window and stuck her head outside. _America isn't _that_ bad_, she thought, surveying the houses across the street. The neighborhood they had moved into was very pretty, actually. It had peach trees lining the streets, and the Tachibanas had a large front and back yard. Thank God her parents knew English, or they would be completely isolated.

She threw herself on her new bed and heaved a bored sigh. Things were definitely not looking up for her.

Takao raised his hand to his mouth to smother a long-awaited yawn. His grandfather hadn't protested much when Takao had told him the entire story. Takao had used up all his money from winning the Beyblade championship, so he was relieved to find that the airline they usually used had credited him with frequent flyer miles. His Grandpa, however, continued to meddle.

According to him, he wanted to be involved with 'Takao's righteous quest for love', as he had dubbed it. He had even called the realty agency and figured out their address in America. Of course, after hearing this, Takao's cheeks darkened an enormous amount as he grumbled under his breath that it wasn't for love.

At least, that's what he told his Grandpa.

More than ever on the flight, he found himself thinking about his newfound love for Hiromi. When exactly did it begin? He tried to place a finger on it, but after a lengthy conversation with the businesswoman next to him, he realized that he couldn't place a finger on love.

Although he had to admit, when he had discovered it, it had thrown him for quite a loop. Waiting for his plane to arrive, he looked dazed most of the time, not being able to quite believe that he was about to do this.

Hopefully... she wouldn't kill him.

Hiromi threw her new English-Japanese schoolbooks into her backpack haphazardly. Her mother and father had hired her an English tutor so that the transition in languages would go more swiftly.

Personally, she disliked the man. He was always leering at her and smiling in a way that made her shiver in disgust. Her first day meeting him, Hiromi tried to tell her parents that she felt uneasy around him, but they had blamed it on post-moving jitters.

She only hoped she could learn the language fast.

Her mother and father had walked around the neighborhood introducing themselves, and had insisted for Hiromi to come along. She knew better.

Chances were that most of those families they were meeting right now would be invited to dinner. She would just meet them then. Besides, why deal with stuck-up neighbors when she had more important things to do? Like... unpack? Or... count her pen collection?

The doorbell rang and Hiromi winced, forced to get up from her comfortable position. Probably one of the neighbors coming to visit, introduce themselves, and then invite themselves inside.

She ran down the stairs as the doorbell rang again, this time a little more forcefully.

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered. _Don't these Americans understand the time concept?_

However when she pulled the door open, her eyes widened, she squeaked, blushed, and then slammed the door back in his face. She tried frantically to calm her pounding heart. _What the hell is he _do_ing here?_

Takao knocked, this time a little angry. _How dare she slam the door in my face?_

"C'mon, Hiromi-chan. Let me in. If you don't, I'll just wait outside until your parents come. I know _they'll_ let me in."

She cursed under her breath and placed a hand on the doorknob before pulling it open. "What are you doing here?"

He didn't say anything in response, simply held out her letter. "Can I come in, please?"

She opened her mouth to protest, but once she caught the desperate look in his eyes, she sighed grudgingly and stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter the home. She watched as he stepped inside, glancing around her house, and she bit her lip. Her heart seemed like it was running a race. _Why did he come all the way here from Japan? Maybe it was to tell me that he'd never see me as anything else than a friend and I should just give up. Well, if that's what he wants to tell me, he doesn't have to! I already _did_ give up on him!_ "You want something to drink?"

He nodded slightly, staring intently at her.

She tried to ignore the pleasant shivers working their way down her back as she felt his chocolate eyes piercing into her back. He always had that ability, and she realized that their little separation from each other had only increased his ability to make her feel incredibly guilty with only a look.

He sat in one of the new chairs by the bar, watching her as she poured them both a large glass of orange juice. As she placed the glass in front of him, he opened his mouth to say something, but then shut it quickly. _What should I say to her?_ He couldn't very well tell her he loved her _now_. It would be incredibly awkward. He had no idea how to start the conversation.

She beat him to the punch, her smile looking rather forced. "So why did you come all the way here to see me? Did you need to tell me something? You could have just called-"

"That's not why I came down here," he interrupted, making condensation rings with his cup. "I came because I read your letter."

Mentally, she began kicking herself. Damn that little voice in her head that had told her it wouldn't be right to just take off and not tell anyone, especially him. She just _had_ to write that letter. "Why would my letter interest you?"

He rolled his eyes and stared at her in such a way that she felt his stare pierce through her. "Come on, Hiromi-chan. Why _wouldn't_ it interest me? I believe you said you… l-loved me."

A dark flush covered her cheeks and she stared at her fingers, finding her nails interesting. "It was a simple moment of vulnerability."

"But you wouldn't have said it if it weren't true," he countered.

She sighed mentally, but kept quiet. There was nothing she could say to that effect. He had her there.

"I came here to tell you that you didn't have to leave. That I-"

"But I _did_ have to!" she yelled, taking him by surprise. "Now that you know how I feel about you, you obviously must know why I left if you ever thought about how you treated me."

Takao jumped out of his seat, his eyes narrowing. "How exactly did I treat you, Hiromi-chan? I treated you like a friend, somet-"

"Exactly! Like a _friend_!"

He shut his mouth, looking off to the side when he sensed the pain in her eyes. He had nothing to say. Inwardly, he knew why she was so enraged, but he hated showing his emotions to anyone. He had hoped to completely avoid this conversation when he thought about it on the flight.

"If that's all you have to say, then I suggest y-"

He didn't know where the courage to say it had come from, but after he had, he was glad he did. The deepest blush he had ever seen spread it's way across her cheeks as he stated quietly, "I love you."

There was an awkward moment of silence as Hilary stared at the floor, her blush eventually subsiding. Finally, she muttered in a soft voice, "You don't have to lie."

He glanced at her, incredulous. "Why would I lie about something like that?"

"Maybe to get me back to Japan?"

"What would the purpose in that be? Why would I want you to come back to Japan if I didn't care about you?" he challenged.

She was quiet as he rose from his seat, not having anything to argue back with.

When he approached her and lifted her chin to look at him, he noticed small tears rimming her eyes. "Hiromi... why did you leave, anyway?"

A tear rolled down her cheek and she tried valiantly to hold a shaky sob back, but it released itself into the air as she threw herself into Takao's arms. "I felt neglected. At first, I put up with it because I convinced myself that that was what a good friend would do. But then, it kept going, and I fell in love with you. I couldn't stand it." By this point she was sobbing uncontrollably into his shirtfront, her words garbled by the hiccups.

He ran his hands up and down her back comfortingly, sighing into her hair. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize until you left. It took you leaving for me to realize how much I loved you. But I don't want to go back to Japan without you."

There was a silence for a few moments in which Hilary calmed herself and nuzzled her nose into his neck. "Takao?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you help me pack my room up?"

He smiled widely and lifted her chin, sealing their happiness with a soft kiss.


End file.
